11th Dec 2003, 12:46

I Recently purchased a 1996 F150 XLT w/bed liner and matching topper, 104,000 miles. Has a 5 Liter V8 & auto transmission with plenty of gusto for everyday driving and hauling. Even pulls my 17' 1973 tri-hull boat without issue.

Have to admit all vehicles have issues. My 89 Tempo had issues from day one with factory defects. Took a while to get them fixed, but in the end the car was pretty reliable and got us from point A to B.

The gentleman who owned my truck prior to me was the original owner and took GREAT care of it. Took it to the dealership for every oil change and service. Truck was near perfect except for some wear and tear. So far, no problems. I had to buy the truck when the wife wrecked my 88 Taurus wagon. That too was a Ford and went all over the US and Europe & the UK. Great transportation and darned reliable. I had only 1 breakdown in my Taurus between 1994 & 2003. Bad fuel pump. Wife took two cars out with the front of the Taurus. I cut the sub frame at the bolt points between the front tires and the radiator frame and header panel. Mated a used one in about 4 hours and completed repairs in another 8 hours w/paint. Car looks almost perfect. Gave it to my nephew for college and he loves it. Cheap on gas and just goes and goes. My family has always owned mainly ford vehicles and farm implements back in the 70's. Yea, I'm that old... but we have always come out ahead with Ford. Though our Chevy's were good also. Dodge, I must admit I won't discuss them. Great innovations in the passenger compartments, but NO reliability in the Drivetrain... My last Dodge Transmission went 7 miles before meltdown. That was the 4th in under 4,000 miles. By the way, stay away from AAMCO. Privately owned and you never know what kind of service you may get. My experiences were ALL bad...

Randy...

16th Dec 2004, 11:33

I bought my F150XLT 4X4 new in 1996. It has a manual transmission with the 4.9 engine. I have taken very good care of the truck including regular 4K mile oil changes, lubrication of all fittings, and never overloading its capacities. It currently has 63K miles on it.

This truck has been problematic from the beginning. I have replaced many of the same parts as listed in the other reviews. The mpg is not good (15 mpg) and it is underpowered as pickup trucks go.

This isn't my first Ford truck, but it will certainly be my last.

11th Jan 2005, 11:23

We too have a 1996 Ford 150 XLT extended cab, short bed with a 302 engine. It has 92k miles and we haven't really had any problems. Although there are two things we haven't been happy with: 1) the engine light won't go off. We were told it was coding to the fuel lines or something and after about $500 and a few parts, it still wasn't fixed, we left it. So although the light is on, the truck runs great! 2) This truck has the optional fuel tank, and BOY does it need it! This vehicle is one of the worst on fuel we have ever owned, and we have had several V8's of different size, shapes & configuration! So maybe the engine light has something to do with the fact of how much fuel this truck burns! But other than that, it's been a great truck. I think it depends on each individual vehicle regardless of the manufacturer! They all have troubles that do not get resolved!

5th Mar 2005, 06:28

I purchased a 1996 F-150 XLT recently. It had 48,000 miles on it. The truck runs great. I had to replace the left upper/lower ball joints and had a problem with the 4 wheel drive. I changed to manual hubs. Now the 4 wheel works fine. I have one problem that I can't figure out. The check engine light is on. The engine is a 4.9 I-6. I have brought it to be repaired and the mechanic has had it for several day's and is having trouble finding the problem. Any ideas? From what I read this is a common problem. I believe the codes came back with an O2 sensor or a upstream problem. As I stated earlier the mechanic ckecked these problems and they were fine. I have had the light clears in the past and for some reason it came back on after filling the tank. This happened twice. I have checked the fuel caps and they are on properly and are tight. Thanks!

26th Apr 2005, 13:35

I have a 1997 F150 XLT V-6 with 95,000 miles that has just thrown a rod. Now I need a new engine. I thought that I could get a few more miles out of it. With this and the five or six recalls, I am done with Ford.

26th Jun 2005, 20:57

My 1996 F-150 5.0 has been a big disappointment. The 4-wheel drive is out for the second time. Poor gas mileage and an uncomfortable ride. I changed the transmission fluid and some type of valve (resembled a mushroom) dropped in the transmission pan--I couldn't find where to replace it. I have about 74000 miles on it. Poor acceleration--transmission seems to work hard during acceleration. Brakes grab especially during wet weather. My 1983 I-6 had 190,000 miles and ran great. That's why I bought a 1996 but I hope I'm finished with Fords for a while.

17th Sep 2005, 17:49

I own a 1996 XLT F150.. I've owned it for about two years already. I currently have 191000, and it runs like a true Ford.

Add ons to the truck have been a K&N air filter kit, Headman headers, two new performance cats, two Flowmasters, true dual all the way out to the side of the truck...

It drives great and gave me no problems when driving from Houston TX to San Diego California... the most reliable truck I have ever owned.

Gas mileage isn't the best I must admit. And I have had a problem trying to program the truck with a Hypertech after market power programmer... The 302 is one of the best engines Ford has made... I average a good 18 mpg in the city, and on the highway it runs a solid 21 mpg... The add ons really make a difference. Before, when it was stock, it gave me close to 15mpg in the city and 17 on highway.

My heart remains with Ford; why, because it's the best in Texas...

10th Feb 2008, 10:04

I'm not sure where all these negative comments come from. I'm still driving a 1996 F-150 XLT with the 4.9L I-6.

The truck looks and runs like new with 230,000 miles on it. The engine has never been touched. The only things I've had to do are brakes, shocks, ball joints. Clutch is still original.

29th Dec 2008, 05:21

I owned a 1996 Ford F150 XLT 5.0 auto from new to 2004. Great truck for me. I pulled a boat and trailer and had no trouble with power. Never had a problem other than normal maintenance. It never caught on fire so I guess I'm lucky.

The stock tires were very bad on wet roads. I replaced them after 40,000 miles with Michelin XLT's which worked great.

Sold it with 133,000 miles and the new owner is very happy with his purchase.